NFL Franchise 100

2022 NFL Franchise 100: No. 90-86

Chris McGlynn Football, NFL , , , , , , ,

The NFL season is right around the corner and while all 32 franchises are trying to make their final roster decisions, I wanted to take a different approach to roster building. Inspired in part by the annual NFL Top 100 players list, voted on by the players in the league, I wanted to know who the top 100 players would be to start a team with in 2022.

There are a variety of factors that went into creating this list. Let me lay out the criteria.

First, age played a major role in determining which players made this list. Only six players over the age of 30 made the list. Positional value was the other big driving force behind these rankings. There is no doubt that Jonathan Taylor is one of the best young players in the game right now, but you wouldn’t pick him first overall to start an NFL franchise from scratch. The positional value of running backs is simply not high enough to warrant that. Neither is the longevity of the position on average. You most likely want to find a player who is going to last a long time to build your franchise around. There are a few notable exceptions to that rule. With that in mind, I prioritized quarterbacks, offensive tackles, cornerbacks, edge rushers and wide receivers. There are plenty of instances where a more talented player slid down the board a little further simply because they played a less valuable position.

There were a few other factors I considered, including years remaining on contract, contract structure and salary commitments. There is a reason why rookie contracts are so valuable, especially when you hit on a star. That player is now on a team friendly deal with several years of team control built in.

If you missed the previous entry, you can find it here.

With all of that in mind, let’s continue our countdown to No. 1. Check back Thursday for players 85 to 81.

90. Andrew Thomas, OT, New York Giants
Age: 23
Years remaining on contract: 3
2022 cap hit: $8.82 million
After a very rocky rookie season, Thomas looked a lot more like the player the Giants were expecting to get when they selected him fourth overall in 2020. Thomas earned a 78.9 grade in 2021 from PFF, allowing just two sacks. He has played well enough that New York is content to start this year’s seventh overall pick in Evan Neal on the right side. Neal does have experience playing on both sides of the line, but that was tough to envision a year ago given how much Thomas struggled his rookie year. If Thomas can replicate his 2021 form or even surpass it, he will be much higher on this list next year. Getting an above average left tackle on a rookie deal is fantastic value.

89. Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens
Age: 26
Years remaining on contract: 4
2022 cap hit: $9.66 million
The first tight end to appear in the countdown has been one of the best red zone targets in the league. Since 2019, only Travis Kelce has scored more touchdowns among tight ends in the league. Andrews is significantly younger than Kelce and already locked up through the 2025 season. The final two seasons of his deal are a little less cap-friendly at over $16 million per year, but Andrews will still only be 30 years old when his deal is up. What keeps Andrews from being higher up on this list is his limitations as a blocker. The Ravens do not use him as one very often, nor should they, but his impact is a bit more limited as a result. Still, I would be happy to build around an elite receiving tight end.

88. Braden Smith, OT, Indianapolis Colts
Age: 26
Years remaining on contract: 4
2022 cap hit: $11.57 million
I feel like despite being one of the better tackles in the league for several years now, Smith continues to be overlooked. Case in point: he has yet to be selected to a Pro Bowl. He has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career, missing eight games over the past two seasons. When he is available, Smith is one of the best right tackles in the league. He earned a stellar 80.6 grade in 2021 from PFF despite the limited playing time. Unfortunately, he is about to become a lot less affordable starting in 2023. He is entering the first year of his four-year $70 million extension from the Colts. His cap hit will balloon up to $19 million in 2023. However, he does have an out in his contract after 2024. He is unquestionably worth the money, but it is harder to get excited about paying a right tackle $17.5 million per year.

87. Creed Humphrey, C, Kansas City Chiefs
Age: 23
Years remaining on contract: 3
2022 cap hit: $1.26 million
One of my favorite players from the 2021 draft class, I banged the table for Humphrey to be a first-round pick. Instead, he slipped to the second round and Kansas City landed a steal. He wound up being PFF’s highest graded center as a rookie, which landed him third in the AP’s voting for Rookie of the Year. If that wasn’t enough, Humphrey is under contract for three more seasons with cap hits all under $1.75 million. Paying that much for arguably the best center in the league is incredible value. The only thing that holds him back from being higher on this list is his positional value. Centers are certainly crucial to any offensive line, but teams are usually reluctant to draft them early or spend a ton on the position. There are only seven centers in the whole league right now that earn at least $10 million annually.

86. Kenny Clark, DT, Green Bay Packers
Age: 26
Years remaining on contract: 3
2022 cap hit: $9.98 million
It is hard to believe that Kenny Clark is entering his seventh season and won’t turn 27 until October. He is a seasoned veteran in the prime of his career. After working as a rotational player his rookie season, Clark has been a fixture of the Packers defensive line. He has earned Pro Bowl nods in two of the past three seasons. His production as a pass rusher has been really strong throughout his career with 22.5 sacks to show for his efforts. He also racked up a career-high 28 quarterback pressures in 2021, which ranked fifth among interior linemen. Unfortunately, his contract situation is poised to get a bit messy following the 2022 season. Clark’s deal carries cap charges of roughly $24 million in its final two years. I have to imagine that the deal will get reworked in some way, but it is definitely a bit daunting to see them looming.

Follow the Aftermath via email to get every article delivered right to your inbox. Enter your email in the text box to subscribe. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter. You can also check out our weekly podcast Draft Season Never Ends with new episodes every Friday, available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

2022 NFL Franchise 100: No. 95-91

Chris McGlynn Football, NFL , , , , , , ,

The NFL season is right around the corner and while all 32 franchises are trying to make their final roster decisions, I wanted to take a different approach to roster building. Inspired in part by the annual NFL Top 100 players list, voted on by the players in the league, I wanted to know who the top 100 players would be to start a team with in 2022.

There are a variety of factors that went into creating this list. Let me lay out the criteria.

First, age played a major role in determining which players made this list. Only six players over the age of 30 made the list. Positional value was the other big driving force behind these rankings. There is no doubt that Jonathan Taylor is one of the best young players in the game right now, but you wouldn’t pick him first overall to start an NFL franchise from scratch. The positional value of running backs is simply not high enough to warrant that. Neither is the longevity of the position on average. You most likely want to find a player who is going to last a long time to build your franchise around. There are a few notable exceptions to that rule. With that in mind, I prioritized quarterbacks, offensive tackles, cornerbacks, edge rushers and wide receivers. There are plenty of instances where a more talented player slid down the board a little further simply because they played a less valuable position.

There were a few other factors I considered, including years remaining on contract, contract structure and salary commitments. There is a reason why rookie contracts are so valuable, especially when you hit on a star. That player is now on a team friendly deal with several years of team control built in.

If you missed the previous entry, you can find it here.

With all of that in mind, let’s continue our countdown to No. 1. Check back Wednesday for players 90 to 86.

95. Christian Darrisaw, OT, Minnesota Vikings
Age: 23
Years remaining on contract: 4
2022 cap hit: $3.03 million
He is built a bit like an oak tree and that is one of the many reasons I have Darrisaw next on my list. He had a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to production during his rookie season. PFF charts him as allowing five sacks and committing three penalties in 12 games. Those numbers aren’t great, but qualify as decent for a rookie making the transition. Keep in mind he missed the majority of training camp last year with an injury. Darrisaw graded out as a 71.9 for his rookie year. Reports coming out of Vikings camp in 2022 indicate he is ready for a big jump. The comparisons he is drawing are a little premature, but Trent Williams’ name has been mentioned more than once. Finding a young tackle with great measurables and upside feels like a big win.

94. Marlon Humphrey, CB, Baltimore Ravens
Age: 26
Years remaining on contract: 5
2022 cap hit: $10.28
Had I done this list a year ago, Humphrey would likely have been much higher on it. He was coming off a Pro Bowl season in which he forced a league-leading eight fumbles and posted very respectable advanced metrics in pass coverage. That was following a 2019 season where he made 1st-team All-Pro. However, 2021 saw Humphrey slip a little bit performance wise. He also missed the final five games of the year with a torn pectoral muscle. The injury coupled with a not-so-friendly contract over the next few seasons made it hard for me to put him much higher, no matter how productive he has been in the past. His cap number is at least $19 million each of the final four seasons of his deal. I’m sure some of that can be rectified with a little salary cap magic, but it is still off-putting all the same. Still, finding a 26-year old cornerback who is Pro Bowl caliber when healthy seems like a worthy investment, even if there is some additional risk.

93. Trey Smith, G, Kansas City Chiefs
Age: 23
Years remaining on contract: 3
2022 cap hit: $858 thousand
Trey Smith was one of my favorite interior line prospects in the 2021 draft, but he blew away even my wildest expectations. He ranked second in pass-block win-rate and third in run-block win-rate among guards as a rookie. The only other guards to show in the top ten in both those categories last season were Zack Martin and Kevin Zeitler. That’s good company to keep. Of course, there are drawbacks to Smith’s game. He committed 10 penalties, which PFF has as tied for the seventh most among all guards. He is already a steal given that his cap hit won’t rise above $1 million until 2024, but if he can cut down on the penalties, I think we are looking at a perennial Pro Bowler with All-Pro potential.

92. Vita Vea, DT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age: 27
Years remaining on contract: 5
2022 cap hit: $3.77
There are few people on this planet with the combination of size and athleticism that Vea brings to the table. He is an excellent run stuffer with a good motor and does offer some production as a pass rusher. He posted a career-high four sacks in 2021, resulting in his first Pro Bowl nod. His presence alone impacts everything the opposing offense has to do from a game planning perspective. You cannot single block Vea often and hope to win. He is a nose tackle who can collapse the pocket. Those are hard to find. What’s more, his contract is very team friendly. Past 2023, the Buccaneers can part ways with him and incur minimal cap penalties, in most cases, freeing up a solid amount of cap space. Not that they should have any desire to move on from Vea. I think he has another four to five years at his peak before you have to start worrying about him being in decline. That is worth the investment if you are building a team.

91. Kwity Paye, EDGE, Indianapolis Colts
Age: 23
Years remaining on contract: 4
2022 cap hit: $3.10 million
As we round out the 90s, we find another member of the 2021 draft class. Paye got his career off to a solid start during his rookie year with the Colts. He recorded four sacks, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. It is worth noting that all four of his sacks came in the second half of the season. He is a physical player with incredible athletic tools. Again, this ranking is largely based on the upside he has flashed with hopes that he can take that next in 2022. He was seen as a project coming out, so I am betting he will continue to improve. What’s more, Paye is entering just the second-year of his rookie deal, so he has a very team-friendly cap hit through the 2024 season. The Colts can also exercise his fifth-year option to keep him under contract through 2025. High-upside players on team-friendly contracts will be a theme of these rankings.

Follow the Aftermath via email to get every article delivered right to your inbox. Enter your email in the text box to subscribe. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter. You can also check out our weekly podcast Draft Season Never Ends with new episodes every Friday, available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

2022 NFL Franchise 100: No. 100-96

Chris McGlynn Football, NFL , , , , , , ,

The NFL season is right around the corner and while all 32 franchises are trying to make their final roster decisions, I wanted to take a different approach to roster building. Inspired in part by the annual NFL Top 100 players list, voted on by the players in the league, I wanted to know who the top 100 players would be to start a team with in 2022.

There are a variety of factors that went into creating this list. Let me lay out the criteria.

First, age played a major role in determining which players made this list. Only six players over the age of 30 made the list. Positional value was the other big driving force behind these rankings. There is no doubt that Jonathan Taylor is one of the best young players in the game right now, but you wouldn’t pick him first overall to start an NFL franchise from scratch. The positional value of running backs is simply not high enough to warrant that. Neither is the longevity of the position on average. You most likely want to find a player who is going to last a long time to build your franchise around. There are a few notable exceptions to that rule. With that in mind, I prioritized quarterbacks, offensive tackles, cornerbacks, edge rushers and wide receivers. There are plenty of instances where a more talented player slid down the board a little further simply because they played a less valuable position.

There were a few other factors I considered, including years remaining on contract, contract structure and salary commitments. There is a reason why rookie contracts are so valuable, especially when you hit on a star. That player is now on a team friendly deal with several years of team control built in.

With all of that in mind, let’s kick off our countdown to No. 1. Check back Tuesday for players 95 to 91.

100. Jevon Holland, S, Miami Dolphins
Age: 22
Years remaining on contract: 3
2022 cap hit: $1.98 million
I didn’t count on having two Dolphins in my first five players. That’s just how good Jevon Holland was as a rookie though. He did a little bit of everything in that Miami secondary. He recorded two interceptions, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and 69 total tackles. At 22 years old, Holland is well ahead of schedule in terms of production. Also, as a former second-round pick, his cap hit is ridiculously low, staying below three million dollars for the remainder of his rookie deal. Unfortunately, he will not be eligible for a fifth-year option as a trade off, but the potential of signing him to a second contract at the age of 25 is an appealing one. With most of these players, projection will be required, but after a promising start, I am more than willing to roll the dice on Holland’s long-term upside and versatility.

99. Ryan Ramczyk, OT, New Orleans Saints
Age: 28
Years remaining on contract: 5
2022 cap hit: $8.48 million
The NFL has become a league where you need to have two quality tackles to contend. While left tackle is still perceived as the more valuable position in large part due to him protecting the quarterback’s blindside, right tackles are seeing the financial windfall of this shift in the league. Ramczyk signed a five-year, $96 million contract extension last July. His cap hit is going to be heavy going forward, but he has proven to be worth the money so far. He recorded the highest pass-block win-rate of any offensive tackle in the league last year. He is a three-time All-Pro in his career and likely would have been again in 2022 if not for a nagging knee injury that cost him the final seven games of the season. At 28 years old, he is nearing the end of his prime, but we are also seeing more players able to extend their careers well into their 30s. The next two tackles on the pass-block win-rate list were 31-year-old Lane Johnson and 40-year-old Andrew Whitworth.

98. Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age: 24
Years remaining on contract: 2
2022 cap hit: $1.99 million
His dad was really good. Winfield Jr. might wind up being even better. The soon-to-be 24-year-old earned a Pro Bowl nod in just his second season. It took Antoine Winfield Sr. until his age-31 season to reach his first Pro Bowl, although he also earned All-Pro honors that year. He holds up well enough in pass coverage, but really makes his impact as an open-field tackler and blitzer. He tallied two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and a pair of sacks in 2021. It was a season that built off a solid rookie season. It would be great to see him take the next step in pass coverage, but he has the range and defensive instincts needed to impact the game at a high level for a while to come. Not to mention, he is under contract for the next two seasons with cap hits of $1.9 million and $2.3 million. Hard to beat the kind of value for a Pro-Bowl caliber player.

97. Josh Sweat, EDGE, Philadelphia Eagles
Age: 25
Years remaining on contract: 3
2022 cap hit: $3.63 million
Sweat is coming into his own, now entering his fifth season in the NFL. He has racked up 13.5 sacks over the past two seasons and finally broke through to being a starter in 2021. It earned him his first Pro Bowl nod and a sizable payday. Philadelphia brought him back on a three-year, $40 million deal, but only $27 million of it is guaranteed. Paying $9 million per year for a player who would operate somewhere in the 6-to-10 sack range feels like pretty good value. There is unquestionably some projection involved here. It is always a risk to bet on a player who just got paid. However, Sweat has youth and now two seasons of solid production on his side. He won’t be T.J. Watt, but finding quality pass rushers with upside is always a smart decision.

96. Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
Age: 21
Years remaining on contract: 5
2022 cap hit: $3.92
Clocking in at No. 94 we have the top receiver taken in the 2022 NFL draft. London was a phenom at USC. He recorded 88 catches and eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in just eight games during his final season with the Trojans. He missed the remainder of the year with a broken ankle. London has a huge frame and plus athleticism that should allow him to be a safety blanket for his quarterback in the NFL. Unfortunately, he is already dealing with a knee injury this preseason, so durability could be a problem. That certainly knocked him down a few spots for me, especially coming off the broken ankle. He was my favorite receiver in the 2022 class and I think he has a long, productive career ahead of him. Building around a talented, young target could pay dividends long term. Plus, his contract situation is fantastic compared to what receivers are getting on the open market these days.

Follow the Aftermath via email to get every article delivered right to your inbox. Enter your email in the text box to subscribe. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter. You can also check out our weekly podcast Draft Season Never Ends with new episodes every Friday, available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.